Forum Flash | Bye-bye, Big Gulp

And speaking of excess sugar, a group of mayors from across the country is proposing Congress try to curb the growing obesity epidemic by prohibiting the use of food stamps to buy sugary drinks.

Louisville's Greg Fischer was one of the 17 mayors to sign the letter.

Being overweight is a serious health concern in the United States, and in Louisville nearly 30 percent of the city's residents are obese, according to an article Thursday by The Courier-Journal's Kirsten Clark.

Obesity, formally classified as a disease Tuesday by the American Medical Association, costs Americans about $147 billion annually in associated expenses, according to the mayors' letter to Congress.

The mayors said that the food stamp program - the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program or SNAP - can "do more to address the pressing challenges of obesity and diet-related disease."

They also encouraged Congress to offer incentives for SNAP users to buy more fruits and vegetables.

Congress should follow the advice of these mayors and consider ways to help make our country healthier.

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Forum Flash | Bye-bye, Big Gulp

And speaking of excess sugar, a group of mayors from across the country is proposing Congress try to curb the growing obesity epidemic by prohibiting the use of food stamps to buy sugary drinks.